This place is incredible! We are from out of town and weren’t aware the meat combo plate wasn’t available until noon. They made it for us anyway, which was so nice of them. The food was perfect. If we lived in Seattle we would eat here all the time.
Kendrick Lim
Yummy Ethiopian food. Small restaurant space but tasted authentic. Enjoyed the lamb tibs with decent portion size. Slightly pricey but would recommend!
cargado xb
Food was delicious and service was excellent
kate mw
Amazing food. Went for lunch and had great service. Got the Doro Wat and Shiro Wat and they were each amazing. There were plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Would definitely come back! There is also gluten-free injera which was cool.
William Burgamy
We LOVE Cafe Salem! The food is always outstanding. We live 45 minutes east of Seattle and drive into the city to bring take out home! Vegetarian Combination is our favorite !!
Eyerusalem Bayley
To be honest, this place has been one of my favorite spots for Ethiopian food in Seattle. However, after today, I don’t think I’ll be returning.
The daughter who works here is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. She always greets customers with warmth, talks about the food, and makes everyone feel genuinely welcome. Her kindness and hospitality have always been a big part of why I enjoyed coming here.
Today, while I was dining in and chatting with her, the owner—who is also her mother—came in and started yelling at her in front of all the customers. To my shock, she then turned to me and essentially told me I wasn’t welcome anymore because her daughter talks to me too much. I was stunned. It was one of the most bizarre and unprofessional things I’ve ever witnessed.
This young woman is bringing in customers, making people feel at home, and doing her job exceptionally well—yet she was being treated as if she were a child. I can’t support a business that publicly humiliates and degrades its employees.
Sadly, this was my last visit here. I truly wish the daughter the best because she deserves to work somewhere that values and respects her. Hopefully, she finds a job where she’s treated well because she provides some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced.
Suff Syed
This is my go to Ethiopian place. Lamb is halal. I wish beef was too!
Adam Zcka
Dear Cafe Selam
I hope this message finds you well. I recently visited your restaurant with a friend and wanted to share my experience.
The service was excellent, and we were made to feel very welcome. However, we found the food to be just average and felt that there is room for improvement in that area. Also, I noticed that there was no parking available, which made it a bit challenging to visit.
I appreciate the efforts of your staff and hope this feedback helps you enhance the experience for future guests.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Best regards,
Gavin Juviler
Qey way was excellent
Andrew Marek
Great Ethiopian restaurant. It is not the only Ethiopian restaurant, but it is perhaps one of the tastiest. I've tried a lot of Ethiopian places near First Hill / Cap Hill, and this is my favorite. The portions aren't the largest but I love the authentic vibe, service, and quality of the cuisine. Overall, would recommend :)
We've been coming here for years, and it's as good as it's ever been. The food is always great. I love their combos and their fish dish (yum!), but the buttered / spicy injera – quateqna – is my secret favorite. I usually get teff injera – it tastes better to me. The place is super-unpretentious. And the folks that work there have always been very nice to us. Can't wait to go there again.
Sarah Staub- Meyers
Absolutely delicious and well priced. I loved that I could order individual items (we often go to Ethiopian restaurant that only have combo platters). I got the mesir wat and my husband got kitfo and we loved them!! Will be back
SANJAY AGGARWAL
Delicious Ethiopian cuisine!
Kimberly Combes
Delicious Ethiopian food. So good for vegetarians. Great variety in the platter. Good bang for your buck. So healthy and yummy too!
Sunita Subramoniam
We have eaten at several Ethiopian places around the world, including in Addis Ababa. The food here is incredibly delicious and very very fresh. The doro wat is a must have.
This place is incredible! We are from out of town and weren’t aware the meat combo plate wasn’t available until noon. They made it for us anyway, which was so nice of them. The food was perfect. If we lived in Seattle we would eat here all the time.
Yummy Ethiopian food. Small restaurant space but tasted authentic. Enjoyed the lamb tibs with decent portion size. Slightly pricey but would recommend!
Food was delicious and service was excellent
Amazing food. Went for lunch and had great service. Got the Doro Wat and Shiro Wat and they were each amazing. There were plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Would definitely come back! There is also gluten-free injera which was cool.
We LOVE Cafe Salem! The food is always outstanding. We live 45 minutes east of Seattle and drive into the city to bring take out home! Vegetarian Combination is our favorite !!
To be honest, this place has been one of my favorite spots for Ethiopian food in Seattle. However, after today, I don’t think I’ll be returning. The daughter who works here is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. She always greets customers with warmth, talks about the food, and makes everyone feel genuinely welcome. Her kindness and hospitality have always been a big part of why I enjoyed coming here. Today, while I was dining in and chatting with her, the owner—who is also her mother—came in and started yelling at her in front of all the customers. To my shock, she then turned to me and essentially told me I wasn’t welcome anymore because her daughter talks to me too much. I was stunned. It was one of the most bizarre and unprofessional things I’ve ever witnessed. This young woman is bringing in customers, making people feel at home, and doing her job exceptionally well—yet she was being treated as if she were a child. I can’t support a business that publicly humiliates and degrades its employees. Sadly, this was my last visit here. I truly wish the daughter the best because she deserves to work somewhere that values and respects her. Hopefully, she finds a job where she’s treated well because she provides some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced.
This is my go to Ethiopian place. Lamb is halal. I wish beef was too!
Dear Cafe Selam
I hope this message finds you well. I recently visited your restaurant with a friend and wanted to share my experience.
The service was excellent, and we were made to feel very welcome. However, we found the food to be just average and felt that there is room for improvement in that area. Also, I noticed that there was no parking available, which made it a bit challenging to visit.
I appreciate the efforts of your staff and hope this feedback helps you enhance the experience for future guests.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Best regards,
Qey way was excellent
Great Ethiopian restaurant. It is not the only Ethiopian restaurant, but it is perhaps one of the tastiest. I've tried a lot of Ethiopian places near First Hill / Cap Hill, and this is my favorite. The portions aren't the largest but I love the authentic vibe, service, and quality of the cuisine. Overall, would recommend :)
Restaurantji Recommends
We've been coming here for years, and it's as good as it's ever been. The food is always great. I love their combos and their fish dish (yum!), but the buttered / spicy injera – quateqna – is my secret favorite. I usually get teff injera – it tastes better to me. The place is super-unpretentious. And the folks that work there have always been very nice to us. Can't wait to go there again.
Absolutely delicious and well priced. I loved that I could order individual items (we often go to Ethiopian restaurant that only have combo platters). I got the mesir wat and my husband got kitfo and we loved them!! Will be back
Delicious Ethiopian cuisine!
Delicious Ethiopian food. So good for vegetarians. Great variety in the platter. Good bang for your buck. So healthy and yummy too!
We have eaten at several Ethiopian places around the world, including in Addis Ababa. The food here is incredibly delicious and very very fresh. The doro wat is a must have.
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